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A kidney stone is a solid piece of material that forms in the kidney from substances in the urine. It may be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a pearl. Most kidney stones pass out of the body without help from a doctor. But sometimes a stone will not go away. It may get stuck in the urinary tract, block the flow of urine and cause great pain.
The following may be signs of kidney stones that need a doctor's help:
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
'''Kidney stones''', also known as ''nephrolithiasis'', ''urolithiasis'' or ''renal calculi'', are solid accretions (crystals) of dissolved minerals in urine found inside the kidneys or ureters. They vary in size from as small as a grain of sand to as large as a golf ball. Kidney stones typically leave the body in the urine stream; if they grow relatively large before passing (on the order of millimeters), obstruction of a ureter and distention with urine can cause severe pain most commonly felt in the flank, lower abdomen and groin. Conventional wisdom has held that consumption of too much calcium can aggravate the development of kidney stones, since the most common type of stone is calcium oxalate. However, strong evidence has accumulated demonstrating that low-calcium diets are associated with higher stone risk and vice-versa for the typical stone former. The relatively dense calcium renders these stones radio-opaque and they can be detected by a traditional X-ray of the abdomen that includes '''K'''idneys, '''U'''reters and '''B'''ladder—KUB. Computed tomography, a specialized X-ray, is by far the most accurate diagnostic test for the detection of kidney stones. Other examples of kidney stones include struvite (magnesium, ammonium and phosphate), uric acid, calcium phosphate, or cystine (the amino acid found only in people suffering from cystinuria). The formation of struvite stones is associated with the presence of urease splitting bacteria (Klebsiella, Serratia, Proteus, Providencia species) which can split urea into ammonia, most commonly ''Proteus mirabilis''.
The Kidney Stones Handbook - Written by a kidney stone patient and consumer health advocate and award-winning urologist. Information on stone prevention.
The Saga of the Kidney Stone Kid - One man's traumatic experiences with the health care system and how he has managed to survive numerous goofs and gaffes. By Chris Mitsoff.
Cleansing or Surgery - Recipe book for liquid cleansers to eliminate gallstones, kidney stones, ulcers, high blood pressure, and elimination problems. Also offers natural salt, psyllium husks, and herbal mouthwash.
Medstone International Inc. - Designs, manufactures and markets lithotripsy system for the noninvasive disintegration of kidney stones in human patients. (Nasdaq: MEDS).
Mission Pharmacal - Provides Citracal, calcium supplements for osteoporosis prevention and Urocit-K for kidney stone prevention and kidney stone disease. Also menopause relief, impotence cures, and erectile dysfunction.
The Kidney Stone Web Site - An educational resource for kidney stone sufferers with reasons for concern, description, location in the body, and more topics.
Kidney Stones in Adults - Overview pamphlet including clear illustrations, causes, symptoms, prevention and treatment options from the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse.
UCLA Kidney Stone Treatment Center - Information about anatomy, symptoms, treatment, predisposing conditions, and definitions.
Kidney Stones on the Net - A personal story with links to other information and personal sites.
Kidney Stone Center - Definition, causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and six different treatment options.